Values & Principles
This section presents elements of the Open Climate Collabathon culture.
Our collective vision for the Open Climate Project is sustained and realized only through free, open and inclusive collaboration that welcomes a broad spectrum of participants across diverse cultures and communities from all regions around the world. Please take a moment to read and reflect on the information and guidelines below, which are essential for constructive participation in project activities and events. Additionally, the project advocates and relies on core principles of personal responsibility, shared stewardship of the Earth’s natural resources for the continued flourishing of all life, and many of the values, norms and practices initially developed within the Open Source Software movement.
“Sometimes it's the people no one imagines anything of who do the things that no one can imagine.” - Alan Turing
The project is based upon the principles of inclusivity, equality, and embracing diversity. With an understanding that bottom-up civil action and collective intelligence are the most powerful sources of innovation to address the climate challenge, it is imperative that a diverse range of contributions are included. Within the project therefore it is paramount that inclusive ways of working and behaviours are established, and that contributions from as diverse a range of participants as possible is enabled.
Technologies such as blockchain provide tools to operationalize the social innovation of collaboration however can also be inadvertently exclusive, or yield solutions that miss the opportunity to enable and empower greater levels of inclusion. Thoughtless use of technology is proven to perpetuate biases, and potentially increase baseless discrimination.
Finding solutions to address the many social inequalities (such as gender, race and ethnicity, LGBT+, disability, socioeconomic status, educational attainment) embedded in societies around the world is integral to this quest. One that transcends all, is the imbalance between humans and nature that is based upon the belief that humans are entitled to govern over the natural world and limitlessly extract resources without consequence.
We must awaken a clear consciousness that we are an intricate part of Earth, and its survival.
“The belief that one's own view of reality is the only reality is the most dangerous of all delusions.” - Paul Watzlawick
Wherever necessary or preferred we rely on participating individuals to discover, acquire, learn and utilize the tools and resources available to them, in accord with their collaborators where that may prove critical in making progress, together. Your open mindedness, creativity and good will are important for working effectively with others in the project.
While you may find a variety of tools and resources being shared and commonly applied in project work, these can not address every question, concern or need that may arise in the course of the project. All available tools you will find begin and end with the inspiration and ingenuity of a collaborative participant just like you so, please do not hesitate to add your valued tools and methods to the toolbox. We are all peers here, working together on a common project for the sound health and economy of our shared home on planet Earth. Every participant is encouraged to take ownership of the event and contribute their knowledge, experience, expertise and efforts, as they see fit, for improving the Collabathon experience and project impact.
So, take the initiative, learn something new, meet a new friend - have fun and be the difference that makes a difference. It may take some time and a bit of patience to become familiar with the digital environments provided but you can always post questions to the community and also respond to others with answers that you know and useful references and resources you’ve found. You’re also welcome to add to the available guidance and resources by contributing to the information published on this wiki, in GitHub repos, and in many other ways.
When addressing the contribution challenges (sometimes motivated through sharing of “Prompts”) it’s up to you and your collaborators to frame your own unique approach, create your own tasks and change course together, as needed. And, most important: always attend to the nurture and care of our shared peer-to-peer community. We’re learning, working and playing together in The Open Climate Project for the purpose of achieving an immensely ambitious objective; one which just might demand that each of us also achieve a significant advance toward our greater humanity and potential.
“The only thing that will redeem mankind is cooperation” - Bertrand Russell
We are all stakeholders of this platform and the Collabathon event, just as we are of the planet and its climate. No one really 'owns' planet Earth and its resources, and therefore no one should own the intellectual property of a common tool to help govern human's impacts on the climate system. As such, this project fundamentally puts forth the need for shifting from a mindset based on ownership to one based on stewardship.
Furthermore, the project values the open source culture and recognizes its power to invite and enable everyone to participate and integrate their ideas, suggestions and contributions to a common solution; please respect open source licenses (see 'Welcome' section for license information). Remember, different entities are working on pieces of the same puzzle that are ideally integrated into one decentralized 'platform of platforms' acting as a common ground of truth, and that the total is more than the sum of the parts when everyone nurtures the unifying 'glue' that integrates those individual pieces.
“Many ideas grow better when transplanted into another mind than the one where they sprang up.” - Oliver Wendell Holmes
This event is not about competing to win an award. We do not incentivize participants by winning, but by collaborating with other individuals, creating a community and assembling teams to build parts of the solution together. Dare to detach from our constant need for competing and wining over others, and rather use that energy to attribute good actions of your peers, setting in motion an inertia that will replicate and come back to you in multiples. We need to leverage multiple talents, worldviews and fields of expertise to tackle the climate challenge together. We encourage participants of all skill levels and backgrounds to contribute their part and find a challenge they can tackle... anyone can join, contribute, or propose new prompts.
Last modified 3yr ago